Artist Cao Yong poses for a photo in front of his work on the Sichuan earthquake at the Asian Art Top Show in Beijing on January 5th, 2009. The painter was in Sichuan as a volunteer after the deadly quake jolted the south western Chinese province in May 2008. He later spent four months finishing the work. [Liu Wei/CRI]

Artists, reporters and crowds of art enthusiasts gathered at Beijing's World Trade Center on Monday for Asian Art Top Show (AATS 2009) which will run through the week.

It seems the chilliness of Beijing's cold winter has not dampened people's passion for art, despite predictions that global financial recession would translate to fewer art buyers.

Amidst worldwide economic slump, the show has assembled a slew of powerful participants, including Museum of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, American gallery Cao Yong International Art Gallery, Taiwanese gallery Lee Sun-Don's X-Power Gallery and many other artists from South Korea.

A list of established artists and budding painters from the Chinese mainland also met the public with a variety of artworks. Wen Wu, the general director of the show and a renowned traditional Chinese artist, told CRI that compared with the hard-hit western economies in the crisis, we are far more sober-minded.

Visitors view artworks at the Asian Art Top Show in Beijing on January 5th, 2009. [Liu Wei/CRI]

"Our art market has been distorted for quite long time because some artists lost their aesthetic tastes, blinded by the prospect of large profits. Now is a good time for people to slow down, cool off, and think about where to go."

He stressed the importance of the show is to highlight clean and serious art, and help set a positive precedent in the Asia art market for 2009.

"The show, for the first time, puts forward the idea of establishing an independent aesthetic Asia and the market system." This seems to be reinforced by the many participating agencies and artists.